Noho Architecture maximizes space and natural light to revamp a cramped dwelling on a 14-foot-wide lot.
When Chester and Chloe found an inner-city terrace home that fit their budget in Sydney, Australia, they knew they had to snap it up.
“If you were to go back to 2017 and try to buy a terrace for under a million dollars, it just wouldn’t happen,” Chester says. “We came across this one and it was $850,000 [$564,000 USD] and we stretched ourselves to afford it. It was a one-bedroom, one-bathroom piece of sh*t, to put it nicely.”
Thanks to sparkling white polyurethane joinery, polished concrete floors, and an internal courtyard, light bounces around the small space, which measures just 23.6 feet in length.
Photo: Ben Guthrie
It might have been a bomb, but the location was perfect: Camperdown is a trendy suburb about two miles from the CBD where Chester works in finance and Chloe in law.
It was a typical Victorian-era worker’s cottage, with an ’80s terrace extension that did little to improve its dark and dingy vibe. But that was the appeal, Chester explains: “The fact that it was a blank canvas.”
Sticking to a simple, linear staircase allowed architect Justine Money to pack storage into the narrow space and create a dining nook. The slim bank of cupboards on the left also hides the services, removing the need for bulkheads.
Photo: Ben Guthrie
The couple initially planned to spend $300,000 Australian dollars (about $193,000 USD) on a modest revamp that would add a second story, and save the major makeover for later. “What we found was that whether we did a minor renovation or a significant one, there would be substantial costs,” Chester explains. “If we were to go the whole hog and do it properly, it would only cost a hundred grand or so more than we had planned.”
| $850,000 Existing House |
$492,000 Site Work & Builder Fees |
$17,000 Foundation |
| $3,000 Flooring |
$13,000 Landscaping |
$68,000 Joinery |
| $7,000 Countertops |
||
| Grand Total: $1,450,000 AUD (about $966,135 USD) | ||
Luckily, Chester and Chloe knew exactly who to call: Chester’s mom, architect Justine Money of Noho Architecture.
The internal courtyard acts as a light well and, thanks to the hanging plants, helps Chester and Chloe escape the busy city beyond. “The greenery feels like it’s inside the house,” Chester says. The micro cement island bench lends texture and interest to the the monochromatic palette.
Photo: Ben Guthrie
See the full story on Dwell.com: Budget Breakdown: They Turned a Narrow Sydney Terrace House Into an Inner-City Oasis for $397k
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